Two weekends. Eight matches. That's all the time the Chico State volleyball team have had to establish its identity and work out any lingering kinks before diving into the all-important California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) schedule. The Wildcats look to extend their early-season success this weekend when they open conference play, taking on Cal Poly Pomona Friday and defending NCAA West Region champion Cal State San Bernardino Saturday at Acker Gym. Both matches get underway at 7 p.m.
 
Fans unable to attend in person can follow the action on the Internet with Live Stats, via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video is also available online.  
 
This weekend marks the first time in the 2018 campaign Chico State has gotten to play in front of the home crowd. The Wildcats opened the season with back-to-back tournaments in Central California, sweeping four straight August 23–25 at the NorCal Volleyball Classic in Turlock, then winning three of four last weekend in Fresno at the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase.
 
Chico State faces a tough conference challenge right out of the gate. The Wildcats, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino all enter the weekend with identical 7-1 records.
 
The Broncos are riding a six-match winning streak, including four victories last weekend in the Oakland pod of the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase. The Coyotes, ranked No. 9 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national Top 25 poll, are coming off a 3-1 showing in the Azusa pod of the D2 West Region Showcase.
 
The Wildcats will have to figure out how to stop two of the CCAA's top offenses on back-to-back nights. San Bernardino and Pomona are 1-2 among the 13 conference teams in kills per set, with the Broncos ranked second in the conference in hitting percentage (.273). The Coyotes are ranked fourth (.253).
 
Through its first eight matches of 2018, Chico State is fourth in the CCAA in service aces (54), ranks sixth in kills (364), hitting percentage (.241), and blocks (52.5), and is eighth in kills per set (13.00).
 
Individually, Kim Wright ranks in the CCAA Top 10 in aces (second, 15), hitting percentage (fourth, .389), kills (sixth, 90), and kills per set (eighth, 3.21).
 
Other Wildcats among the CCAA stat leaders:

• Nicole Desrochers leads the conference in service aces (16), and ranks second in aces per set (0.59).
• Brooke Fogel is sixth in the CCAA in digs (115) and ninth in digs per set (4.26).
• Makaela Keeve ranks eighth in blocks per set (0.95) and ninth in hitting percentage (.333).
• Bekah Boyle is eighth in the CCAA in kills (85) and 10th in kills per set (3.04).

 
Cal Poly Pomona is led by senior middle blocker Kristen Hamlin, who ranks among the conference leaders in both kills (87), kills per set (3.63), hitting percentage (.389) and blocks (27).
 
Sophomore outside hitter Alexis Cardoza, who leads the CCAA in kills (121) and kills per set (4.48), is San Bernardino's top offensive weapon. Coyotes' senior setter Jayann DeHoog top the conference in assists (335) and assists per set (12.41).
 
The Wildcats swept Pomona in last season's lone meeting between the two teams. Though Chico State has won nine of the last 12 contests with the Broncos dating back to 2010, Pomona leads the all-time series, 26-19.
 
Cal State San Bernardino beat the 'Cats twice in 2017, and denied Chico State an NCAA Tournament bid with a victory in the finals of last season's CCAA Championship Tournament. The Coyotes hold a commanding 45-3 in the all-time series, but Chico State was a winner the last time the two teams met at Acker Gym (a three-set sweep on October 1, 2016).